Virginia Democrats Show a United Front

Painting themselves as the "mainstream ticket," the Democratic nominees for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General say Virginians have a clear contrast between them and the Republican nominees, which the Democrats have dubbed “the Tea Party ticket.” And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, as a show of solidarity, the defeated primary candidates announced that they’re now committing themselves to getting their former opponents elected.

Aneesh Chopra told a Richmond crowd that “the Doctor's in the House"—referring to his former opponent, Senator Ralph Northam, a doctor and now candidate for Lt. Governor. Northam said when Democrats led Virginia, it was the best-managed state, and the best state in which to do business and raise a child.

"We've slipped since this new administration has come along. We need to all work together to get back to where we were. This state, in order to have business, in order to welcome people, we need to be all inclusive. That starts with stopping the attack on women."

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Tommie McNeil talks with officials at a Democratic unity breakfast.

While introducing Senator Mark Herring as the next Attorney General, former candidate Justin Fairfax said that with this new ticket, "The future is bright." Herring wasted no time taking shots at the GOP ticket.

Chopra and Fairfax have become co-chairs of the coordinated campaign, and gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe says their ticket couldn't be more cohesive. That's despite Northam and Herring NOT supporting McAuliffe’s candidacy in 2009, when he first sought the party's nomination.